"Flame" variant?

[Maleko]

I live in the Pacific Northwest and occasionally we'll go to the beach to look for garter snakes. There's a colony of Wandering Garter Snakes and we love to search for them in the rocks on the beach. One day I saw one of these garters that was red-orange, as opposed to olive green. Same pattern as the wanderings, just red. Is this a flame variant of this subspecies? Are "flames" a common color variant?

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Sounds like a flame phase / red phase coast garter to me!

[guidofatherof5]

T. s. sirtalis (Flame Eastern) doesn't range anywhere near the Pacific Northwest.

On the other hand:
T. s. concinnus (Red-spotted garter snake)
T. s. fitchi (Valley garter snake)
T. s. infernalis (California red-sided garter snake)
T. e. terrestris (Coast garter snake)
all range in that area.

Range maps compliments of "The Garter Snake - Evolution and Ecology" by Rossman, Ford and Seigel

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//744/T_s_s_range_map2.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//744/T_e_terrestris_range_map.jpg

[BLUESIRTALIS]

THIS IS WHAT SOME PEOPLE CALL A FLAME PHASE COAST GARTER. https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAhmRdPTC38txO8_GctwN-vPmHO7o_T4--JmQb0iBFxyJU1Jn0SA

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like a flame phase / red phase coast garter to me!

Sorry, I miss read your post.;)

[BLUESIRTALIS]

No need to apologize Steve! I didn't think you meant anything towards my post, but that you was just pointing out that it couldn't be a flame eastern! When garter enthusiast here flame garter we jump straight to easterns or at least I do, but some people out west call the red sided coast garters flames and the ery looking ones are just called red coast!
Sorry, I miss read your post.;)

[Maleko]

Been looking through picture of Coast Garters and that's definitely what she was. Looks just like them. I just thought it was kind of odd to see only one in a community almost exclusively composed of Wandering Garters. I would imagine there are more out there, she's just the only one I've actually seen around there.

[ConcinusMan]

Couldn't be flame. Second thought was red spotted color phase T. sirtalis pickeringi or T. sirtalis concinnus. Where exactly did you see it? if it has 8 upper labial scales it's coast garter. ssp. of T. elegans. If 7 uppers, it's 1 of 3 t. sirtalis subspecies.